PetSmart Charities has always partnered with pet rescues and shelters across North America to bring adoptable pets into PetSmart® stores to help them find a forever home. Now, in preparation for its upcoming September National Adoption Weekend, the leading funder of animal welfare isn’t just reaching out to potential pet adopters. Instead PetSmart Charities is harnessing the power of hundreds of millions of pet-loving social media users with its new #PicMe campaign.
#PicMe is a campaign designed to use social media for good by helping to find loving homes for 25,000 pets in just a few days. The hashtag anchoring the campaign has a clever double meaning: It combines the call to action of snapping a photo or “pic” of an adoptable pet to share on social media with an appeal in the voice of those featured pets for potential adopters to “pick me!” when they visit a local PetSmart store during National Adoption Weekend in search of a new four-legged friend. Whether you are expanding your family with a furry friend or just want to help a pet find a home, #PicMe allows all animal lovers to pay it forward.
North America boasts one of the largest social media footprints in the world. It’s estimated that 81 percent of the population has at least one social media profile, meaning there were 207 million social media users on the continent in 2016. A recent survey by Mars Petcare U.S. revealed social media users tend post about their pets an average of twice a week, demonstrating that people love to like, share and post pet-related content.
“We know people are passionate about helping to end pet homelessness. But historically, unless you were ready to adopt a pet into your home, there was no other way for millions of pet-lovers to take part in National Adoption Weekend,” says David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D. and president of PetSmart Charities in the U.S. and Canada. “Now, by sharing a photo, video or Boomerang of an adorable, adoptable pet on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, and using the hashtag #PicMe, everyone has the ability to help by inspiring their community of followers to consider adopting a pet.”
Learn how to take part in this social media for good campaign
Watch the video to learn how swapping out your Sunday brunch selfie in favor of an adoptable pet portrait could help more than 25,000 pets to be adopted in a single weekend.
Follow PetSmart Charities’ 3-Day Adopt-a-Thon on Twitter and Instagram
PetSmart Charities will also host a three-day adopt-a-thon kicking off at 4 p.m. EDT on Fri., Sept. 14. Beginning Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. EDT, PetSmart Charities will be showcasing one adoptable pet every hour. Follow the cuteness at www.twitter.com/PetSmartChariTs or www.instagram.com/PetSmartCharities.
Ready to Bring Love Home this National Adoption Weekend?
The primary goal of PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend and the #PicMe campaign remains to reduce pet homelessness by finding lifelong, loving homes for as many shelter pets as possible. From Sept. 14–16, more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations will bring adoptable pets into nearly all of PetSmart’s 1,600-plus stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit your local PetSmart store to meet adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs and the occasional reptile, all looking for their forever homes and families.
National Adoption Weekend Details:
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Date: |
Fri., Sept. 14 – Sun., Sept. 16, 2018 | |
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Time: |
Fri. and Sat.: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. local time | |
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Location: |
Your local PetSmart store. Visit www.petsmart.com to find a store near you. |
